Assessing the Impact of Land-cover Changes on Hydrology

Investigator: 
Ambika Khadka
Start Date: 
June, 2013
Description: 

To determine whether reforestation efforts in the denuded hills have significant impacts on hydrology in the Xinjiang River watershed, we examine seven land-cover scenarios to compare hydrologic responses and to provide a conceptual basis for restoration practices. We are analyzing a 17-year time period from 1992 to 2009 using remote sensing to develop land-cover classification for the watershed. Climate, soil, and terrain data for the watershed are used as input in the Soil and Water Analysis Tool (SWAT) to quantify and compare the impacts on hydrologic processes. The model was calibrated to a two-year record of stream discharge measurements.